December 17, 2014

You're American if you ask what flavor. We've been setting a Christmas cracker by each guest's plate on Christmas morning for about 11 years. Several years ago I bought a bunch at an after-Christmas sale, so I had enough to last a few years. This year I needed more and decided to try making my own Christmas crackers, and I learned a few things.

The "snaps" are the only thing you may not be able to find. Years ago when I looked online, I could only find them available in England. Now I can get them from Oldenglishcrackers.com--a package of 25 for $7.50 plus postage. Considering that I have almost everything else on hand, that's a lot more crackers for what I would normally pay for just 6. Order the snaps first, then start assembling everything else.

I viewed several videos online to see how various people put them together. Tesco is a chain department store in England; their video was fast and easy, good for the basic steps. Of course, Martha Stewart has a whole Christmas cracker theme of projects online, from the crackers themselves to gift wrapping things to look like crackers. You can even print the template for the cracker tube and the special paper to wrap them. Creativity TV shows how to make a beautifully decorated, embossed, triangular-shaped cracker suitable for enclosing a diamond ring....

Supplies: toilet paper or paper towel rolls (cut to same length as toilet paper tube), glue gun, wrapping paper, ribbon, Christmas snaps, and little gifts that will fit into the tube. A paper crown (directions for that are here) and a Christmas joke or riddle are apparently the only must-haves. I found a bunch of Christmas cracker jokes--just print and cut them apart. I put in little individually wrapped candies, a dime (in lieu of the chocolate coins I couldn't find), and a curl of ribbon. I think Martha showed confetti, but don't feel like vacuuming the entire dining room on Christmas morning.

My quick and easy directions with tips: cut a piece of wrapping paper about 13 inches by 9 inches. Center the toilet paper roll midway between the two sides and run a glue line where it meets the paper to hold it in place. (Otherwise, it's tricky to hold this all together when you tie the ends.) Place a snap inside the tube; hot glue the ends to the outer edges of the paper.This is the best time to insert the paper crown and riddle into the tube. (Tip: make the crowns, fold them up and insert them into the toilet paper tubes ahead of time. If you can keep them curved against the roll, it's easier to put the other stuff inside.)

Place another cardboard tube on each side of the one in the middle but don't glue them--they're just place-holders. Roll one edge of the paper around the tube and glue to the middle tube; repeat with other side.

This is the tricky part--best to watch the Tesco video for the wrist movements! On one end, pull the cardboard tube out from the wrapping paper about 1 1/2 inches. Holding the middle tube in one hand and the outer tube in the other, gently push them together, turning slightly. This creates the separation twist in the paper. Remove the outer tube. Take a piece of ribbon about 18 inches long and tie a bow around that twisted part. You may have to pinch the paper together a bit. You want the bow tight enough to close that opening (so the little things inside don't fall out) but be careful not to rip the paper. The most difficult thing is keeping the Christmas cracker together while putting on the bow. Three hands help. Not having three hands, I held the cracker between my knees so I could use both hands to tie the bow. (They don't show that method in any of the videos.)

Once you have one end closed, insert the rest of the little items by dropping them down the open end. Repeat the twist and tie procedure with the second end. At this point your cracker is done, unless you want to put more decorations on the outside.

What I learned: foil paper tends to be stiff and difficult to twist and tie. Thin, cheap wrapping paper tears too easily. Use a good medium-weight wrapping paper that isn't foil.

Opening the crackers: This is a group activity. One person holds an end of their cracker and another person holds the other, each tightly holding at the twisted part. At the same time, pull the ends. The cracker should pop loudly, the paper tears, and the little gifts come spilling out. (That's why I didn't put in confetti.) Your guest has to wear the paper crown (take blackmail or Facebook photos!) and read the Christmas riddle out loud.

I’m having fun. Come on along!

Kathy Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast Old Town Albuquerque

Christmas crowns are mandatory inside Christmas crackers, but since this isn't an American tradition, where do you find the crowns? Make your own!

Supplies: crown template, gold wrapping paper, tape, scissors, pins.

This is a good use for gold wrapping paper. The crown needs to be large enough to fit a big head. I made a template--print two copies. You'll need three of the sections (throw away the extra one); cut out and tape them together end to end in one long piece. I found 19" to be right for the largest head for an adult; cut off the extra length.

You can make several crowns at one time. Fold a width of the wrapping paper back and forth to make about four layers. Pin the crown template through the layers of the wrapping paper to hold it in place; cut completely around the template through all layers.

One layer at a time, fold over the long straight edge about 1/2 inch.This makes the crown a little less likely to tear. Form the crown into a circle and glue the ends together. Voila!

To straighten out the curl in the paper and insert the crowns into Christmas crackers, start folding the crown in half, fold again, and again, about 4-5 times until it will fit into the toilet paper tube.

I’m having fun. Come on along!

Kathy Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast Old Town Albuquerque

November 22, 2014

For the first time, the Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast is offering a "Christmas in Old Town" package to our overnight guests including Christmas dinner, since the restaurants in Old Town are closed on Christmas Day.

Christmas in Old Town is magical, with thousands of luminarias lining the sidewalks and rooftops on Christmas Eve. You can arrive a little earlier that day and help us set up and light our own luminarias. We'll have Mexican hot chocolate in to-go cups for you to sip as you stroll through Old Town in the evening. Enjoy a fabulous breakfast in the morning accompanied by locally-roasted coffee or tea and a Christmas cracker at your place setting--wear the crown and look for your prize inside!

Christmas dinner starts with cranberry-apple salad with glazed pecans, followed by roast pork tenderloin with orange-chipotle sauce, couscous with pine nuts, and roasted asparagus with shaved Parmesan cheese. The dessert is New Orleans bread pudding with bourbon sauce and spiced whipped cream.

Treat yourself to an unforgettable Christmas in Old Town. Call or book online to make your reservation.

I’m having fun. Come on along!

Kathy Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast Old Town Albuquerque

December 17, 2013

Even though the city bus tours have been sold out for weeks, you can still enjoy the luminarias on Christmas Eve in Old Town Albuquerque. The Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast is in the heart of Old Town, and thousands of luminarias are literally right out our front door. A late-night stroll through Old Town brings the peace of the season with the flicker of candles.

The tradition of luminarias dates from the 1800's and was inspired by Chinese lanterns. The simplicity of a lit candle in a paper bag weighted with sand takes on a whole new meaning when seen by the thousands on rooftops, walls and along the streets.

Many Christmas traditions change over the years, but some of the old traditions are worth keeping. Come take part in ours.

November 30, 2013

I've revised the recipe I had for bark butter for birds in a previous post--see the new recipe below. As I was making more this morning, I realized it would make a nice gift for the bird lover on your list. You could even make the log feeder to use with it for a complete package.

To make the log, select a fairly straight one about 12-18 inches long with the bark still on. This is for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and other birds who prefer tree trunks and branches rather than seed feeders. Insert a large eye hook at the top of the log. Using a 5/8-inch or so drill bit, drill about a dozen holes randomly around the log about an inch deep with the holes slanted downward into the log (so the bark butter won't fall out). Make a hanging loop out of a sturdy piece of nylon or polyester cord.

Make the bark butter and present it in a nice sealable plastic tub. Include a copy of the recipe and you've got a complete gift. Inexpensive, easy, and very thoughtful.

Bird Bark Butter

Adapted from Whitney’s Bird Blog

half

full

4 oz.

8 oz.

lard

1 cup

2 cups

peanut butter

2 cups

4 cups

cornmeal

1 cup

2 cups

rolled oats

1 cup

2 cups

unsalted sunflowers or bird seed

Put all ingredients in a food processor and mix thoroughly. Put in container and store at room temperature; spread on tree bark or log drilled with large holes.

Note: Yes, do use the lard because it makes the mixture stick together more than just peanut butter will. Don’t use too much lard or it will be greasy.

And then there's the age-old question--do you call it stuffing or dressing? A lot of people use those words interchangeably, but it looks like if you cook it in the turkey, it's stuffing. If you bake it separately, it's dressing. Either way, we look forward to a nice meal and a quiet holiday.

November 16, 2013

Sometimes you just want to make something easy and fun. I made this LED candle in five minutes. Pretty much the only thing to buy would be the little votive LED candle, which you can get at Walmart. These would be great for inexpensive table decorations, put them in your windows or wherever else you might want a candle. These are safe for small children and in places where a real candle might not be a good idea.

what you'll need

1 sheet of card stock or other heavy decorative paperempty water bottleLED votive candlescissorsglue or tape

Cut the neck off the water bottle to the height you would like your candle to be, minus an inch or two. Wrap the card stock around the bottle and tape or glue the overlap. Set the water bottle bottom up; slide the card stock tube over it.

Cut the card stock off the top, depending on how much you want the candle flame to show above the top. You can cut it off straight across or cut it with a dip to look like a partially melted candle on one side.

November 20, 2012

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when stores--especially the big-box stores and the malls--start having their sales to jump-start the Christmas shopping season. Then there is Cyber Monday, which encourages people to buy things over the internet instead of suffering the madness at the mall. Finally, there is Shop Small Saturday, our favorite of the three, to remind people of local small businesses that need and deserve the support of their communities.

A bed & breakfast is the quintessential small business. We're in your town or neighborhood. We're your friends, neighbors and business associates. While we love selling gift certificates so that you, your friends or family can enjoy a stay at our B&B, we may also offer items that would uniquely fit your shopping lists. Many B&B's sell their house-made jams, pastries, soaps, or even cheeses. Some have their own restaurants for that special-occasion meal. We can offer packages so you can include tours, massages, fishing, hot air ballooning or an experience of a lifetime. Your niece may not need another toaster as a wedding gift, but she and her new husband will always remember the stay at a B&B you gave them as a gift for their wedding night.